Kuroneko no Bouken
by Anglo-Chan
Summary: (Adventures of Kuro-neko) Kuroko Tetsuya is a specially bred Neko-human, adopted from a pet-store by five strange, famous young men, who are all deeply infatuated with him. He hasn't ever dreamed of loving a human after his past with them- so how can they show him not every human is bad, and convince him to give them a chance? (AU, GoM/Kuroko)
1. Chapter 1

**Hopefully you all shall enjoy this new fanfiction, instead of get angry that I continue to post new stories.. My mind is just running wild with new inspiration, and I want to get all of it out of my system already! D:**

**However, I am working through a new chapter of Teiko High Host Club- and the next to be updated will be Modern Day Doom. So, I hope you can look forward to that, if you decide to read this! It'll be all adorable, uke-Kuroko and badass Generation of Miracles being protective and obsessive over him. If you haven't guessed the theme of this story from the title and summary, then.. Well, it should be obvious. Hopefully you know, but if not, a surprise is always good!  
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**If you like the story so far, drop a review in! A review is inspirational to an author and always helps- ( And, since I don't check my email.. ) I don't know who favorited or not. Heheh. Thanks, guys!**

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"Ne, Tetsuya," a sweet voice came from outside of a large, plastic barred cage, the kind voice belonging to a beautiful young girl with long, pink hair, and matching colored eyes. She wore a white, plain T-shirt and jean shorts, with a green-apron tied around her small form, and had a clipboard in her hands. "I don't get why you don't try and act cute or happy, so the customers will take a liking to you. You're the most adorable Nekohi we have here, but since you look so.. dead, none of the customers ever adopt you," the woman said softly, and opened up the plastic cage.

This young woman with the beautiful hair and eyes, was Momoi Satsuki, a young woman of the age of twenty-two. She was working this part-time job at the Nekohi Pet Shop, which had a wide selection of different Nekohi- half human, half cat, who had been known as the sexual slaves for most humans since the beginning of time. Though, other times, human owners might fall in love with their pets. The Nekohi Pet Shop was a place for humans to choose from a wide selection of specially bred Nekohi, and select as their lifetime partners.

Momoi Satsuki disliked the idea of making Nekohi adult women and men breed simply for the sake of producing attractive offspring, and then selling them as if they were slaves- though, that was what Nekohi were valued as in society. Humans treated the Nekohi was if they were born to serve them, and tales of abusing the creatures were not uncommon. There were no laws to protect Nekohi, and any of the beautiful creatures living off the street could easily be kidnapped as sexual slaves. That was why there were many stores that sold specially breeded Nekohi, simply to gain funds. The money they raked in depended on the appearance of said creature.

Despite the fact that Momoi disliked the way Nekohi were looked down upon, their lives were otherwise easy if they found loving owners or partners ( Despite the fact that owners of Nekohi could also easily have wives or other lovers ). Marriage between humans and Nekohi were illegal, though Momoi knew most owners and humans were well-off if they owned Nekohi. All the half-breeds had to do was bat their eyes and look cute, and wait for some human to pick them up and pamper them their entire life- though, for the near six months she had been working at the Pet Shop, she had noticed one certain Nekohi who refused to act as society said he should, and refused to be adopted by any human.

This Nekohi went by the name of Kuroko Tetsuya- and was the most attractive Nekohi in the store. Rumor was with the other Nekohi that he had been bred of the finest, most beautiful mother and father, and was raised, pampered by Nekohi-sellers, to fetch millions of dollars when sold. However, their plans got ruined when they released what kind of personality Kuroko had, realizing no one would buy him with the way he stared so blankly, with no emotion and dead eyes into your own irises- and so they sold him to a simple, general Nekohi Pet Store instead, where he had spent his entire life, trapped and living alone. Currently, though his genetics caused him to look so young, he was eighteen years old, and still unsold.

Usually, a male Nekohi would lose appeal year after year in their teenager stages. The beautiful creatures were at their prime during their fifteen or sixteen year phases with feminine curves, beautiful skin, and silky hair- and by seventeen, they slowly lost their attributes, slowly becoming slightly more masculine, until the Nekohi were at a standstill between male and female, having more of a straight, lean, and boring figure, with regular hair and pale skin. That was why most stores required they sell all Nekohi before they reached age seventeen. If a Nekohi became seventeen and was not sold, they would be dumped cruelly into the streets.

However, this was not the case with Kuroko Tetsuya.

If anything, the bluenette Nekohi became more and more attractive with his age. Kuroko's feminine curves only got sharper and more noticeable, his perfectly milky, creamy white skin almost glowing as he aged closer to eighteen. His blue eyes shone like crystal pools, and his powdery-blue hair was softer than silk. Momoi, if she had been one of the customers, would have definitely bought him for his looks, but she knew what turned them off. It was his dead personality and lack of submission towards them. Every owner instead wanted a Nekohi who was beautiful and submissive- not just one or the other.

Kuroko was interesting. All his life, he had grown up in a barred-off cage, living on nothing but enhancements and a carefully-controlled portion of the same meal, every single day, to appeal to his body's natural beauty and keep his appearance as fresh and young as it always was. He had never known what his parents looked like, or who they were- as soon as he had been born and bred from his mother, they had taken him away to raise him up to be the most beautiful creation they could make. He spent his time in solitude, away from everyone, and everything was frighteningly boring. He had developed a blank, emotionless face, to match his blank, unexciting life- and to his surprise, the customers had lost interest in him.

So this blank look became his natural personality. Kuroko, Momoi knew, would do anything not to get adopted by any sexually-depraved customers, even if it meant being so.. _dead_ all the time. The human men would come in and look over him thoughtfully- but when they saw his lack of expression and submission, they'd skip ahead and get a different Nekohi instead. Kuroko wanted anything else than to be someone's toy, whom they could use until he was broken, and then stuff him into the toy-shelf to wait for them to call back on him again- _only to break him once more_. He decided he would never be adopted- and when he turned old enough where his beauty died out, they'd throw him out of the Pet Shop, and he'd be free.

Momoi sighed. Though it was a beautiful idea and everything, she wondered how poor Kuroko would really survive, once he was out of his prison cell. He wouldn't be able to find a way of living without being discriminated against for his race, and would end up alone and hurt on the streets, where someone might take advantage of him. The pink-haired woman had taken an adoration to Kuroko, because he was so admiringly different- but she wished that he'd find a human to love him for his personality and sweet heart, despite his emotionless face. He deserved someone to care for him, because he had never experienced love or friendship before in his life- and he needed someone to show him that not all humans were bad.

Not every human would try and take advantage of his good looks for their own advantage, or keep him around just because of his beauty. Momoi knew that herself, as she would close up the shop and leave- feeling Kuroko watching her take her freedom wistfully, with sadness.

"Come out of your cage, Tetsuya," Momoi said kindly, her voice gentle. The large, six-foot, plastic cage was still for a second- and then, slowly, Kuroko Tetsuya slunk out of the compartment, emotionless and blank as ever.

The beautiful Nekohi was as perfect as always. His soft and silky powder-blue locks fell against his milky, creamy white skin, his sky-blue eyes, though emotionless, looking so innocent and pure. Kuroko's ears were cutely flattened, his tail swishing back and forth slowly. He wore the Nekohi standard wear from the Pet Shop, a dark, long-sleeved shirt and a pair of simple black shorts, both of them contrasting with his pale skin tone. The electric-collar was wrapped tightly around his neck, like it was as every single day. Despite wearing such drab clothing, anyone could still tell he was feminine-like, as the uniform hung to his curvy and slender body. Momoi could have melted at the sight of the adorable boy as he walked out of the cage, shifting slightly.

"Tetsu-chan, you're as cute as ever," she commented happily, resisting the urge to hug Kuroko to death with her iron-grip suffocating hug. The boy didn't respond, as she grabbed the formula-bottle of Nekohi milk from the counter, and handed it to him. "There's your breakfast for this morning. Don't tell anyone, but I managed to sneak some vanilla flavoring into it, so it isn't as boring as usual," Momoi whispered. She'd risk her job for Kuroko's small bits of happiness- definitely. It was worth seeing the beautiful, ghost of a smile on his face, however small. She took pride in seeing him display emotions because of her, when the most handsome owners and humans couldn't even get Kuroko to say a single word to them.

The small, almost unnoticeable curl of the corners of his lips came, almost on cue with Momoi's thoughts. "Thank you very much, Momoi-san," he said politely, and tilted his head ever-so-slightly. "I appreciate you doing this for me, though I ask you don't do it too often. I do not wish you to lose your job because of me," he said, his voice as emotionless as ever, though the rosette girl could tell he was grateful.

"Don't be so worried about me, Tetsu-chan," Momoi replied with a grin, resisting the urge to again, cuddle the boy into her chest and never let him go. "Seeing you happy is worth the risk.. Now, get in there. And at least try to make the customers happy, okay? You're so much more beautiful, and cuter than the rest, and should have no trouble being adopted by a very kind owner."

"No one who is willing to put a collar on a person's neck and label them as 'their property,' is a kind person," Kuroko said simply, and shook his head. Momoi internally sighed as the boy slunk back into his large cage, signaling for her to close it and lock it. The beautiful young girl sighed as she did so, and went to the front of the store, changing the sign from closed to open. She always gave Kuroko his breakfast last, so she could look forward to talking to him when she was done with the other Nekohi.

Almost ten minutes after she had opened up the shop, did customers begin to come in. The owners were always males, who were looking for their first Nekohi, or another one to fill their collection. She willingly helped the ones who were just looking for a friend, partner, or true-love, but the ones who only were looking for beautiful creatures to add to their own personal harems were sick- and she made it as hard as possible for them to get what they wanted. Momoi watched the men walk by- as usual, all of them were decently attractive, none of them too short or too thick.

The rosette made sure to keep special eye on Kuroko's cage. He was visible by the openings in the bars, curled up into a ball in the small, enclosed space, sucking on the feeding bottle like a young child. He was unaware of how adorable he looked, and how erotic one might find the scene- as he licked at the nub of the bottle, white liquid dampening his soft pink lips, his eyes innocent and pure, his tongue running against his mouth. Many men stopped to look, and had excitement evident in their eyes- but then faltered when they really watched Kuroko, and noticed his blank look. Then, they kept walking, looking at the other Nekohi, who tried their best to be noticed.

Momoi frowned as she helped a few of the men pick out a few Nekohi supplies, while others looked around for the creatures themselves. Though they were all definitely attracted to Kuroko, and went for a closer look because of his beauty, they left once they had seen the dead look he constantly wore. The rosette gritted her teeth. She wasn't mad at Kuroko, but upset at the fact they only cared for him momentarily because of his beauty, treating the Nekohi as if he was some kind of object.

She was helping one man pick out a bell for the collar of his current Nekohi, who had a habit of wandering away often, while anger clouded her thoughts as she continued to watch the men come and leave Kuroko's cage. Momoi narrowed her eyes in annoyance at them as she climbed up the stepping-stool to reach a brass-bell the customer wanted, and was about to grab it when she noticed a man mouth particular words that made her want to strangle him to death.

_He'd be more attractive if he actually had some fucking emotion._

She was vaguely aware she heard the bell at the front door ring, meaning someone had stepped into the Nekohi Pet Shop- but she ignored it. Forgetting she was on the top of the stepping ladder, she wanted to claw his eyes out- how dare he say something so inconsiderate, rude, and idiotic to her Tetsu-chan, who had been through so much loneliness and solitude that ignorant man didn't even know of- when she tripped over the stool, forgetting she was halfway in mid-air.

Momoi squeaked, and was about to fall to the ground from two feet up and crack the back of her head open rather painfully- when someone's hands suddenly supported her upper back, and pushed her back into place, as she grabbed the counter from her height on the stool. Her eyes widened in surprise, as she quickly grabbed the brass bell and handed it to the waiting customer- who hurried off- before she looked behind her to see her savior.

Her savior, who was... rather tall, and had four other guys surrounding him. Well, Momoi supposed she should be quite embarrassed for that- cue her blush and her annoyance, as she bowed to them respectfully.

"Thank you for helping me there," she said with a nod, and forced a smile, though she wanted nothing other than to go finish her business and smash the inconsiderate man's face in. "My name is Momoi, and I work here. Do any of you need help in selecting products, or adopting a Nekohi today?" She forced out her words, looking to Kuroko, who stared at her in concern, having put his bottle down.

"We're looking to adopt a Nekohi," a smaller male said. He was the shortest of the group of five young men- all of which were more handsome than most other customers, Momoi happened to notice. However, despite his shorter height, he had the most intimidating, and authoritative aura of all of the men in the group. The young men had to be a few years older than Momoi. The one in particular who spoke was about twenty-five or six, or so, and had crimson red hair, and matching eyes with fair skin. Though he dressed rather formally, it didn't do anything to hide his muscular figure, and toned body. Momoi forced herself to look away- she couldn't help ogling at first though- she was a young woman.

"I see," Momoi replied simply, and looked to the others. All of them had contrasting appearances, and she found curiosity bubbling inside of her. Why were they all together? Most customers came alone. "Are all of you adopting a Nekohi for yourself, or just one all together?"

"We plan for one for each of us," the second-tallest in the group replied. His voice was confident, and had a slight 'as-a-matter-of-fact' kind of tone in it. The young man had viridian-colored locks, and lighter shaded emerald eyes, with thick, black-lensed glasses over them. He had a fair skin tone similar to the redhead's, and wore formal clothes as well, though it did nothing to hide a well-sculpted chest and toned arms. Momoi found herself disliking the tone in his voice- though his elegant and handsome appearance was something she couldn't help thinking about. "However, we've gone to other Nekohi stores, and none of them have what we're really.. Looking for."

Momoi narrowed her eyes and tilted her head. "Then what are you looking for?" She asked, confused at the others way of speaking. It was confident, but condescending- a trait she greatly disliked in people. "Perhaps if you all follow me, and be specific what you are looking for, we can find the Nekohi for you all," she said simply, and gestured to the cages behind her, past the shelves stocked full of Nekohi-care products. The men nodded.

"Thank you for your help, ssu," the blonde male of the group piped up, and Momoi turned her attention back to the group of young men. The blonde speaking to her wasn't the tallest in the group- he was the second shortest- yet he was still tall, towering over her at a height exceeding six feet. Besides, to make up for his smaller height than the others, he was astoundingly handsome, with angular features, golden blonde hair, fair skin, amber-brown colored eyes, and a charming smile. He was handsome enough to be a model, and he was obviously as toned as the others, Momoi noticed, through his clothes.

"No problem," she said, and turned, pushing the step-ladder away from the walkway to guide the five young men through the shelves, and to the back of the large pet store, where rows of cages were lined up between metal supports to keep them in place. Kuroko's cage was at the very back of the room, where not many people could really see him- but still, those men had taken notice. She decided it would be best to introduce them to Kuroko, but after. "Here are our Nekohi. Do you want me to introduce them to you?"

"Sounds good~" The violet-haired male singsonged lazily from where he stood behind the redhead. He was the one who had easily pushed her back so she was balanced on her feet again, saving her from injury. The violet-haired male was abnormally tall, at nearly two meters in height, towering over the other young men around him. He had long, violet-colored hair and matching wine-shaded irises, and handsome, yet blunt features. His long arms were obviously muscular through his long dress shirt- and Momoi began to wonder who these men were, and why they seemed so superior, and so much better than all the other customers who came to the Pet-Store, as she walked through the aisles of cages.

"This is our newest arrivals," Momoi said, leading the men to the first aisle of cages. The Nekohi's cages were organized by senior-ship. Whichever Nekohi arrived at the store earliest for selling was in the front, and their newest arrival of a few weeks, Sakurai Ryou, a decent-looking special breed, had come in a few weeks ago. Momoi grabbed the paper on the clipboard that had descriptions she was supposed to read out for customers looking to buy. "This is Sakurai Ryou, fifteen years of age, brown hair and brown eyes, five foot six, one hundred and ten pounds," Momoi read, and narrowed her eyes at the bottom of the page. "Shy and submissive nature, though it reads here he gets.. awfully competitive in the 'heat of things.' If any of you are interested in a Nekohi-harem," she said distastefully.

Momoi was surprised to see that all of them gave looks of disgust. The only one she hadn't gotten a good look at yet spoke up, narrowing his eyes in annoyance.

"We already told you, we want one for each of us. We're not into that shit," he said simply, his voice gruff and rough, his language crude. Though Momoi narrowed her eyes at his blatant lack of disrespect or regard for her feelings at his harsh words, he ignored her. The rosette was annoyed to say he was undeniably attractive despite his rudeness. The man in front of her perfectly fit the description of 'tall, dark, and handsome,' with mocha-colored tanned skin, a great height, making him the third tallest in their group, and handsome features. He had oddly colored dark blue hair and matching midnight blue eyes, but it was strangely well-fitting. Momoi scoffed at him in annoyance.

"I was just asking," she said simply, and narrowed her eyes. "What do you think of Sakurai?" Momoi questioned, but was surprised to see that none of them looked hardly interested in the brunette boy, who was quite cute.

"He's not what we're looking for," the redhead said simply, an amused smile on his face, as a chuckle escaped his lips.

It gave Momoi shivers down her spine, as she quickly looked down to her clipboard, a sudden attraction towards the ground propelling her to look down. "Then what kind of Nekohi would you like?"

"We're not interested in a submissive one, ssu," the blonde piped up, perking upward with a large grin on his face, "It's so boring. We want a challenge. All of us want our own Nekohi who isn't just going to bow down to us, because that's what we got before, all the time.. And we're all sick of it," he confessed, making Momoi's eyes widen slightly in confusion. "Since we recently moved out together, we were hoping that we would each get a Nekohi who wouldn't act so cutesy and submissive. That really gets annoying," the blonde said.

Momoi's eyes widened. So these strange customers.. They wanted the exact opposite of what everyone else did? She looked them up and down, trying to compute together the information she had just heard, and then swallowed. "I'm very sorry to say, but I don't think we have any Nekohi here who are like that," she said blatantly. It was true! All of the Nekohi here played cute and submissive to get what they wanted, and not one of them fit the description of what they were looking for. All of them were the opposite of what they wanted, except-

..

Except for him.

Momoi's eyes widened and she slapped a hand over her mouth, looking up to them in shock. Could it be? Had she found the perfect owners for Kuroko? They were looking for someone who didn't act cute, or be submissive. Kuroko didn't act- he was just naturally like that, and he didn't have an interest to be some kind of submissive slave like that. He would definitely be a challenge to befriend and get to know, of course- it had taken her six months. But if any of the five managed to do it, and ended up helping Kuroko learn to love and accept other humans, then perhaps it was worth it. She had to make sure of something, though..

"What do you all plan to do with the Nekohi you all receive, when you find them?" Momoi asked hurriedly, looking to each of the five young men in question. She had to make sure none of them would hurt or abuse her precious Kuroko- otherwise, they could each forget about taking him home with them.

"I am planning to treat them as well as possible until they open up to me," the redhead spoke confidently, smirking slightly. "I understand a challenge is called a challenge for a reason. Games such as challenges amuse me- and if the Nekohi I find manages to amuse me, then they have no worries in my abode. And if they are what I am looking for- then of course, they should not worry."

"I want to be able to have someone to spend time with, that won't be so annoying and judgmental~" the violet-haired male piped up, a lazy smile on his faze, as he drawled his words out. "Ne, and I want to be able to feed my Nekohi snacks.. And we can talk about annoying people together, and how we will plan to crush them," he murmured dreamily, blinking a few times.

"I'm going to share intellectual knowledge with the Nekohi I plan to adopt," the green-haired male said simply, pushing his glasses up with two fingers. "I shall educate them, and show them the ways of the world, since I doubt they have had a chance to do such in their captivity.. And, I suppose, friendship and perhaps.." he mumbled the next word with a slight blush, "Would not be impossible."

"I want to cuddle with my Nekohi, ssu~!" The blonde said happily, practically radiating love and rainbows and flowers and golden sunshine. Momoi nearly gagged as her eyes were polluted with the happy overflowing from the blonde. "I want to have someone who cares for me as a person, not just my looks! I plan to do everything I can with them~!"

The tanned male hesitated for a few seconds, and narrowed his eyes as he crossed his arms. ".. I want someone who can understand me in our batshit-crazy house," he said, and smirked slightly, jabbing the blonde in the ribs with his elbow. "And someone who can smack some sense into this dumbass over here, who won't stop talking twenty-four seven."

"Mean, Aomine-cchi!"

Momoi slightly smiled- they all seemed to be telling the truth, and their reasons were perfect. They wanted a friend, someone close to them, who would not judge them by their appearances, but by the way they acted, and the people they were. Just like Kuroko, a Nekohi who would be able to understand them, like she was sure they wanted. She took a deep breath- it would hurt to lose Kuroko, but it was better if he went with someone who would teach him that not all humans were bad.

"Then, I have a Nekohi who fits your descriptions perfectly. Follow me."


	2. Chapter 2

**Here y'all go- the next chapter of Kuroko No Bouken. I'm glad you all received the idea so well- thanks for your reviews and support! I've read many neko!Kuroko stories before, but I think I like it better where the Universe has neko-humans in it as well, not just where Kuroko wakes up one day and he suddenly has cat-ears.**

**Anyway, hope you guys all like this chapter. It has a bit more plot events than the last chapter, thankfully- hope you guys like it! And by the way- read my profile for Author's updates. I'm in a play right now that demands a lot of time, so updates will definitely be less frequent. Hope you all can understand- especially if you're a theater geek. I'm Miss Flannery in Thoroughly Modern Millie~!**

**Anyway- please review if you like the chapter. It means a lot to me- thanks guys!**

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Kuroko was sitting in his cage obediently, drinking his milk, when he heard footsteps. He ignored them, his passive expression still fitting over his face- it wasn't as if it was rare for someone to come and take a look at him. However, they always left when they saw his blank face. Though some saw it detrimental to his beauty and personality, he was safe if he showed no emotions. It saved him from becoming a sex slave more than a dozen times, and it was a wall. Nearly no one cared enough to break past the hard exterior he put up, and certain had ever seen him show something on his face other than a blank look.

He was calm and even when the footsteps became louder, and he realized there were multiples footsteps. He continued to drink his milk, lapping at the delicious, subtle vanilla flavor mixed in, as he heard Momoi's voice from out of his cage. Slight surprise lit up at his features- Momoi was going to introduce a customer to him? That was odd. Though Momoi often insisted he get adopted, he never thought she'd actually try and get someone to take a liking to him. A nagging feeling of betrayal clawed at him, and his ears flattened.

"This is the perfect Nekohi for you- Kuroko Tetsuya, age eighteen. He's a special breed, but he was transferred here when he wouldn't sell," he heard Momoi say almost cheerfully, and Kuroko's heart clenched painfully. So, that was all Momoi thought about him as? Some defective breed shipped off to this Nekohi store, just another animal to sell? What about the times she had been so kind to him and earned his trust? Now she was treating him like just another Nekohi to sell to some uncaring owners?

"However, he's exactly what you're looking for," Momoi continued, as Kuroko curled up into a ball, turning into the corner as he tried to stop the tears from forming in his eyes. He couldn't help his emotional state now. Momoi was the first human he had ever let in through his walls, and now she was selling him out? "Unlike other Nekohi, he's got a mind on him, and he's not some sex slave for you to use," she said, snapping Kuroko out of his sad state, leaving him slightly bewildered. "He's not easy, and he's the only one you'll find in this pet store like him. He's amazing- take him or leave him."

Kuroko felt his eyes begin to water. Momoi thought that way of him- for once, a human respected him. It was mind-blowing, since he still remembered the harsh, cold words from humans, as they kicked him into a cage, or stripped him down when they tried to sell him, or injected things into his skin. He felt something in his heart tug for Momoi's confession- but at the same time, he was confused- if she respected him like that, why was she so willing to give him away?

"His name is Kuroko Tetsuya, and he's the best Nekohi out there."

Before Kuroko had time to process Momoi's words, the cage door was opened. A shiver ran down his back and panic immediately flooded his veins. Whenever the cage door opened, it usually sent him into a spiral of surprise or panic- unless it was Momoi, and Momoi alone. He could feel anxious eyes waiting as Momoi's hands gently grabbed his sides and pulled him out of the cage, and his ears flattened, tail curling up close to his legs. The outside air from his cage felt harsh on his skin, and he could feel people staring at him. It was unnerving, and it reminded him of his days in the breeding-pool- and if he was adopted, he realized, his dream of being free someday when the pet store let him go was totally gone.

"What a cute thing, ssu!" A loud voice exclaimed, from Momoi's side. "Can I hold him?" Kuroko refused to look that way- instead, he closed his eyes, curling himself into a ball. He was light and small enough that Momoi could hold him up without a great amount of effort. He felt weak and helpless, as Momoi passed him off to the stranger. Large hands with slim fingers grasped his sides carefully, and he let out a squeak as he was cradled to someone's chest.

"Nee~ Why won't he open his eyes?" A different voice asked, to Kuroko's surprise- there was more than one owner? Fingers gently brushed at his cheeks, tickling his skin. Kuroko slowly opened his eyes in response, curiosity getting the best of him, eyelashes fluttering against his fair white skin. His gaze was met by five other pairs of eyes, not counting Momoi- who watched him quietly, a knowing smile on her lips.

"His eyes are quite beautiful," a redheaded man remarked quietly from the side, staring intently at Kuroko. The bluenette stared at him, doing all he could to keep his blank look. Perhaps, if he kept this up, these potential owners would just leave. Yes, they would leave after a while- nothing was going to change.

"You're adorable, Neko-cchi!" the person holding him remarked happily, as he nuzzled their noses together. Out of reflex, Kuroko pushed the blonde away, cowering into a fetal position in his arms. His ears flattened as he shut his eyes tightly again, and he felt his nails sharpen out of reflex. If the blonde man got too close again- he wouldn't hesitate to sink his claws into his arms.

"I told you, he'll put up a fight. He isn't a normal Nekohi, and he doesn't accept affection very well," Momoi explained. Kuroko could hear the business-like tone in her words, and he tried not to believe into the fact she was trying to sell him. "He's exactly what you guys are looking for, from the descriptions you gave me."

"I can see that," a deep voice drawled.

"He's got a brain, and he'll be afraid. But I think you guys are the ones who might be able to get him to trust humans," Momoi continued to explain. Kuroko's tail bristled, and he pushed away from the blonde, feeling sick. Was this all just some scheme that Momoi fized up, to get him to be more social with humans? What was she, stupid? He'd made it clear he wanted nothing to do with other humans, and he couldn't bear to respect them when they treated his species so terribly. Instead, she had disregarded his feelings, and...

"We'll take him," the man with red hair spoke, and panic filled Kuroko's head. He had to escape, now- they were going to take him, and take his chance at freedom.

He scratched the blonde's arm quickly. The male gave a surprised cry, more of shock rather than pain, and let go of Kuroko. The bluenette nekohi quickly sprung out of his arms, opening his eyes. He had never been out of his cage before for so long- the exit to the pet shop was right there! Adrenaline pumped through his blood as he sprung on all fours to get to the exit- ears flattened, tail zigzagging in back of his lean body. Concerned cries came from the six people in back of him, but he paid them no attention as he ran for the door as fast as possible.

He was a foot away from the door- and from his freedom, when a pair of strong arms suddenly scooped him up. He gave a hiss in response, his blank facade still masking his face- it was the redhead who had picked him up, by the waist. The hold was strong, even as Kuroko tried to scratch him. He was about to turn around and bite, when skilled fingers suddenly began to rub under his ears- something no one had ever done for the bluenette. Kuroko immediately melted into putty in the man's hands, purring, though he kept his faded out look.

"What an interesting creature," the man crooned, his voice silky. Kuroko nearly lashed out and bit him for calling him a creature, but when the fingers rubbed his ears harder, all he could do was purr, and lean into the hand obediently.

"He's no creature," Momoi said simply, from the side. She watched the adorable nekohi purr and writhe in the redhead's hands, surprised that Kuroko was being so obedient. "Would you like to adopt him? I can promise you, he's the only nekohi you'll find who meets your standards. but, if you hurt him, I'll hunt you all down and castrate you with the rustiest knife I can possibly find."

The blonde shivered, laughing nervously. The redhead only smirked, continued to stroke Kuroko behind his ears. The nekohi purred, unable to contain his appeal to being petted in such a way. "Of course- we have no intention of hurting him."

"You better not," the rosette replied. Her eyes softened as she looked to Kuroko- who stared at her with large, begging eyes, as he unwillingly purred and mewed at being petted. She mouthed an apology and went behind the register, the bluenette staring longingly with a heavy heart. The redhead smirked slightly.

"You can send the bill to the Akashi foundation," he said easily- and Kuroko watched as Momoi's eyes widened. A few moments of tension, filled with the mewing of the nekohi in the redhead's arms, passed. Then, Momoi nodded, and logged onto the shop computer to send the bill out to the household. They were packing up and getting paperwork done when Kuroko took one last glance at Momoi, who smiled at him softly. Tears pricked his eyes as the five men took him away- out of the shop, taking his chances of being able to wait for his own freedom.

_I truly believe, Tet-chan, that they will be able to help you.. I'm sorry if it hurts in the beginning, but I promise, I believe they will make you be able to trust humans again. I don't know them, but I can sense their intentions. I just want you to be happy, because you deserve it, Tet-chan.. Good.. Goodbye._

Momoi stared as far as she could as the car holding her beloved Nekohi friend zoomed away from the pet store until it was long gone, completely out of sight.

* * *

It was silent through the car road. Kuroko didn't know where they were going- but he was amazed by the sights out of the window. He had never been out of his cage longer than ten minutes before, so the half an hour car ride around the beautiful Japanese city was like an exotic vacation to the Nekohi. His teal yes glittered as he watched the sights go by, in the large stretch limo they rode. The five other men didn't watch him- to his relief. Though he feared being used as a slave like other Nekohi, as soon as he had the chance, Kuroko knew he would bolt. Knowing Momoi had sold him out for money, he would never trust another human again.

"We're here," the redhead who had been petting him earlier, announced. The car slowly stopped, Kuroko sinking his claws into the expensive leather in surprise.

As soon as the car door opened, the redheaded man turned to Kuroko. He grabbed something out of the paper bag on the floor- and quickly, hooked a rope around the bluenette's neck. Kuroko's eyes widened in horror, thinking it was a torture device, but the redhead only grinned in amusement, narrowing his eyes.

"It's only a collar and leash to make sure you don't run away," he said calmly. Kuroko bristled, though something about the man's voice was calming, and soothing. However, the bluenette steeled himself. He would not fall into any human's trap- especially now that he had been betrayed by Momoi, of all people.

Slowly, the redheaded man got out of the car, tugging slightly at the leash. Kuroko remained emotionless as he was urged out of the large car. The four other young men came out of the car as well, their eyes drifting to Kuroko. He narrowed his teal irises at them, distrustfully. The redhead spoke, interrupting the tense silence.

"Follow us, and don't think of escaping."

Kuroko didn't make a sound of response, as the five men lead him forward. The car drove off behind him. He looked around carefully, already dreading what lay before them- a huge mansion. It was no surprise, considering whoever had the money to buy a Nekohi was obviously rich, but there was a certain sadness looming over the building. Kuroko's tail unconsciously curled, his ears flattening. The men paid him no attention, keeping their eyes focused forward as the Nekohi lagged behind slightly. Indignation and dread mixed together, curling into Kuroko's stomach.

"We're here," the blonde said, as he grabbed a pair of keys in his pocket, and unlocked the door. Kuroko watched with wide eyes, fearful, but unfortunately curious of what resided in such a building. He had never been out of a cage before, so everything was frighteningly new.

Slowly, the bluenette was pulled into the huge mansion. He was lead through seemingly endless halls, all the way to the huge first floor. A large tile floor covered the entire room, an expensively beautiful mahogany dining table covering the front of the room. Everything about the first floor screamed money, from the gorgeous gold-red painted walls, to the diamond chandelier, to the huge kitchen- to the extravagant, tech-savvy living room. Kuroko watched his surroundings carefully, wondering if there was a cage somewhere near where they'd lock him up.

"Are you hungry?" The blonde asked, bending down to Kuroko. He was very tall- the bluenette noticed, as he shook his head.

"There's no reason for you not to trust us. We won't harm you in any way," the green-haired male said, pushing up his glasses. The blonde nodded happily, and a frown made its way to Kuroko's lips. Humans, they were all the same. So naively foolish. He quickly put up his emotionless mask, and shook his head again. The blonde sighed, gesturing to the green-haired male. He slowly leaned down to take the leash off of Kuroko's neck.

As soon as the leash was off, Kuroko had no time to bolt. The tallest of the young men- the one with violet hair and eyes- leaned down and grabbed him in his arms. The holding position was rather awkward, and the bluenette squirmed. The redhead pointed to the living room, and the purple-haired male nodded. They walked over, and Kuroko was dropped onto a leather couch. Immediately, he latched onto the piece of furniture and sunk his claws deep into he expensive stuffing, hissing slightly. The other males sat on the other couches, watching him.

"My name is Akashi Seijuuro," the redhead said, his crimson eyes glittering. He watched the bluenette carefully, uncaring of the Nekohi shredding his furniture to bits with his cat-like actions. "These are my brothers- Murasakibara Atsushi, Midorima Shintarou, Aomine Daiki, and Kise Ryouta," he introduced. None of the brothers seemed to mind the redhead introducing them. Kuroko blinked.

".. O-Owners?" He asked, and then hid his face. He was ashamed of the stutter that followed his voice, but he couldn't help it. He was scared out of his mind of becoming some kind of sex slave for these strangers. Kuroko trembled, hiding his face. He didn't want to look at any of them. He opted to scratch up the couch even more, venting his frustrations on the furniture. It felt good- he hadn't ever been able to scratch anything up in the shop. He had always lived in a cage.

"Not owners," a voice interrupted. Shaking, Kuroko looked up, to see it was the tanned male with dark blue colored hair- Aomine Daiki- who had spoken. He looked slightly amused, but at the same time, serious. "We decided to get a Nekohi, not to treat as some kind of slave, but just.. Just because we're sick of people."

Kuroko's ears flattened, almost immediately. He didn't understand, and he still didn't trust them. What if they changed their minds and turned on him?

"We know it will take a while for you to get close to the idea of trusting us, but.. Believe us when we say we won't treat you like some kind of sex slave, or pet. We'll treat you like a regular person," Akashi spoke, narrowing his crimson eyes. "We're sick of regular people and their ways, so we decided we wanted a Nekohi. Human beings are all materialistic things which we all disliked about the people around here, but animals aren't. Nekohi, creatures with human intelligence but lacking human nature- are perfect. We wanted a companion, and here you are."

Kuroko watched the redhead carefully, narrowing his eyes. The blonde smiled kindly at him, trying to make the Nekohi more comfortable. The bluenette only sunk his claws into the couch even more, his ears slowly rising from where they flattened against his soft hair. His teal eyes darted around them, looking across.

"Why pick me?" Kuroko whimpered quietly, his sharp teeth biting his lower lip. Tears prickled into his eyes, as he unconsciously reminded himself of the freedom he might've had if he stayed in the pet shop. In a year or so, he'd have been let go, but now he was confined to this house for the rest of his life. Why couldn't it have been another Nekohi? One that wanted to be adopted into the rich life?

"Because we wanted a Nekohi who wasn't like the humans. Those ones back there- they were all the same. Wanting a rich owner and a good life, to be taken care of. They were like all of the people we've met before," Kise said, flipping some blonde hair out of his eyes, tiredly. His happy demeanor from before was gone.

Kuroko was silent, still trembling.

"We promise we won't treat you badly. You don't have to trust us so soon, we understand," Midorima piped up from where he sat. His emerald eyes were surprisingly soft, and the blonde nodded in agreement. "All you have to know is that we won't hurt you. We're not like those other Nekohi owners, alright?"

Kuroko hardly trusted his voice not to crack, so he nodded. His tail curled reassuringly around his leg, and he slowly pulled his claws out of the couch. Something deep inside of him prickled, and he willed himself to look up.

"I'm sorry about.. about your couch."

The redhead in the middle of the living room smiled, his eyes glittering in something akin to fondness. He stood up, sat next to the Nekohi- who willed himself not to flinch, and began to pet him reassuringly, a chuckle escaping his lips.

"I never liked that couch anyway."


End file.
